appetizers · Breads · Breakfast · Daily Thoughts · Holiday Fare · Meats · Uncategorized

Sister Schubert Roll Sandwiches

This week I hosted a Gingerbread Open House for ladies which live here in our community.  Trying to serve foods which were a little different from all the regular dishes which are served at open houses, at the last minute decided to try this. Because we are Sister Schubert roll addicts, I decided to serve ham sandwiches using these amazing rolls. These rolls are so easy to find all over the south, but are harder to find in California and Arizona,…but wouldn’t you know that Walmart actually stocks them here in and around Phoenix. Because we love Funeral sandwiches (yes, that recipe is on the blog), but didn’t have any more room to bake a huge jelly roll pan full of them, I opted for Sister Schubert sandwiches, which turned out awesome. So here is what I did and they ladies loved them.

*There are SS rolls which come in a package called Dinner Rolls, but the type I am using here are the rolls which come in the 9″ round aluminum pan found in the freezer aisle of the grocery store.

Melt 2 sticks of butter. Add a heaping tablespoon of mustard and 3 tablespoons of honey. Stir until mixture is completely blended. This mixture will make 2 pans of the Sister Schubert roll sandwiches.

Cut rolls in half after you have thawed them. Brush the inside of roll with butter mixture and then place a slice of ham (you will need to cut ham slices into small pieces to fit the rolls). Place top on roll and place back in baking pan they came in. After you have prepared each roll, brush the tops of the rolls with some of the butter mixture and bake according to directions. Serve warm. (You can add cheese slices to the ham rolls if desired.

Breads · Salads · Uncategorized

Arabic Fattoush Salad (AKA..Arabic Skinnyoush Salad)

Im sorry but I don’t want to infer that any recipe that I post is associated with the word: Fat. So in my mind, if I think the wonderful salad will make me skinny, it just naturally tastes better. This salad wowed Peter Pumpkin and myself. The flavor was a little like tabouli (I just eat it, I don’t learn how to spell it) but the salad itself made both of us decide to head back to the store today to buy more parsley so we can make it again tomorrow. IT’s THAT GOOD! A new friend of mine, Debbie, which lives down the street picked up this recipe at the grocery store and gave me a copy. She and I had been to lunch at a Afghanistan restaurant and started talking about how much we loved Middle Eastern food so she brought this to me a few days later. I did alter it just a bit as I was in a hurry when I was in the grocery store and thought I was picking up Pita Chips, when in fact, they were Pasta Chips, which I didn’t even realize until I was cleaning up last night. They were a great substitute if you cannot find Pita chips or do not want to make your own, (which the recipe called me to do). AND….I had some left over marinated mozzarella balls so I threw those in also. Great addition. Will always add those. OK, so here is the recipe as it came to me: Im including also pictures of the Pasta Chips so you will know what to look for if you decide to use them, plus a picture of the marinated mozzarella balls…

Ingredients

1 tables vegetable oil for frying

2 small (4 inch) pita breads, torn into pieces

1 large English cucumber, finely diced

3 cups halved, grape tomatoes

1/2 red onion, finely diced

3/4 cup chopped Italian parsley

3/4 cup chopped fresh mint

2 tables EVOO, or to taste

1 tables fresh lemon juice, or to taste

1 clove garlic, crushed or more if desired

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

crumbled feta cheese *and I added about 1 cup of marinated mozzarella balls, cut in 1/3’s

Plus I added some fresh basil but recipe didn’t call for it

Directions

Heat veggie oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. Place pita pieces into the skillet without crowding and fry in batches until golden brown, draining on paper towel. Combine cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, parsley, mint, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl. Gently toss to combine. Add your friend pita chips or purchased pasta cups right before serving. Adjust seasonings to your liking.

Breads · Cakes · Desserts · Holiday Fare · Uncategorized

Pumpkin & Cream Cheese Muffins

These will be called Cupcakes in our house, as I am so not a muffin person, but would eat these no matter what they are called. If they are not served and waiting for us at the Wedding Feast in Heaven, I don’t know what would be….they are heavenly! I ate one with butter melted all over it, as soon as I could put the pot holder down and get a napkin out. Honestly, they are just so good. Perfect for breakfast with butter and jam. For lunch, I would just eat one, just plain, while I am making sandwiches. Then for dessert at night, I think I will frost them with a little buttercream frosting. That makes them the perfect little muffin, snack, dessert for the Fall Season! Every day I scan FaceBook for new recipes and this one caught my attention. Then my daughter saw it on FB and tagged me saying that she wished I would make them. So here they are folks, I think you’re gonna like this.

Ingredients (this made 21 muffins for me, but maybe you could get about 23 if you didn’t fill the cups as full as I did)

1 3/4 cup flour

1 tables (yes tables not teaspoon) pumpkin pie spice

1 teas baking soda

1/2 teas salt

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin (pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie mix that has added sugar and spices already in it)

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 large eggs, room temp

1/2 cup oil (vegetable)

1 tables vanilla (there it is again, not teas)

Cream Cheese Filling

8 oz softened cream cheese

1 egg yolk

1/4 cup sugar

2 teas vanilla

Preheat oven to 375. Place paper liners in cupcake pan. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, salt and pumpkin spice. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine sugars and pumpkin and whisk together until there are no lumps. Add the eggs and oil and vanilla. Whisk until batter is smooth and combined. Add flour mixture slowly, whisking until no more lumps are there and batter is mixed thoroughly.

In a medium bowl, with electric mixer cream together the cream cheese, egg yolk, sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth.

Using a large cookie scoop or measuring cup, fill each cupcake liner 2/3 full with the pumpkin mixture. Then place about 1 1/2 -2 teas of cream cheese mixture on top. Swirl with a toothpick into pumpkin batter.

Bake 18-20 minutes or until muffin tests done. Let cool (I didn’t do this, as I just couldn’t wait. I slapped on a dab of butter and grabbed my glass of tea and gobbled it upI

Breads · Breakfast · Cakes · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Fruit · Holiday Fare · Uncategorized

Pumpkin Upside-Down Cake

img_2954Since it is officially Fall, there are now 6 cans of pumpkin in the pantry, 3 lbs of cream cheese in the fridge and I’m ready to bake. Spotted this beautiful Fall Baking Magazine at the store so, of course, couldn’t pass it up. This will be perfect to take to card night next week, (along with s’more bites to throw in our mouths ever time we change tables, which allows me to pass right by these little gems). Janece, this ones for you!

Ingredients

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick, unless you buy the small sticks of butter, in which case would be two sticks)

1 tables water

2/3 cup chopped toasted walnuts (will use pecans)

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

3/4 cup sugar (granulated)

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs (room temperature)

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 teas baking powder

1 teas cinnamon (will make this a heaping teas as we love cinnamon)

1/4 teas ground ginger

1/4 teas salt

1/8 teas cloves

Preheat oven to 350. Line an 8″ square baking dish with parchment paper. Spray with nonstick baking spray with flour. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, cook brown sugar, butter, and the water over medium heat until mixture bubbles, about 4 minutes. Pour sugar mixture into bottom of prepared dish; sprinkle with walnuts (pecans) and cranberry. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar, oil and eggs. Whisk until well blended. Set aside. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, salt and cloves. Add pumpkin mixture, stirring to combine. Spoon batter into prepared pan and smooth top with spatula.

Bake until cake tests done, which will bake about 30-35 minutes. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Invert pan onto a serving platter. Remove parchment paper. Serve warm with a spoon of whipping cream, or a drizzle of caramel (or BOTH)

 

appetizers · Breads · Desserts · Fruit · Holiday Fare · Uncategorized

Caramel Apple Grapes

img_2946This is another recipe which we got in the class last Thursday, when we leavned about the Monster Cookies. These are so perfect to have on a platter, which can be picked up and pop in your mouth (with toothpicks). Great little party food. We had them in class and they were delicious.

Ingredients

As many seedless green grapes as you need, washed and dried

toothpicks

1 cup caramel bits

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1 cup salted peanuts or pecans, crushed very fine

In a small saucepan, over medium heat, combine the caramel bits with the heavy cream. Stir until melted. Keep warm on lowest setting, till you have the grapes ready to begin dipping.

Dip the grapes into the caramel sauce and then into the crushed nuts. Place on a sheet of waxed paper to set.

That’s it! Pop those babies in your mouth and enjoy!

Breads · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Fruit · Uncategorized

Cinnamon Roll Apple Bread Pudding

A couple of weeks ago, I saw this on Facebook and decided that I would make it when I was wanting a new dessert. Well, tonight was the night. Randy and I found a Farmers Market today where we actually got a 5 lb sack of golden delicious applies for $0.99! We both just finished a bowl of the pudding and decided that we really did like it and will be making it a lot this fall. Very easy, quick and perfect for those nights when nothing but a “comfort food” dessert will do.

Serves 4 to 6 people

1 regular size can of cinnamon roll (I used Pillsbury) with the icing included

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk (I used Pet evaporated milk, undiluted

1 teas vanilla

2 teas ground cinnamon

2 tables butter

2 apples, peeled and diced (I used golden delicious)

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

Preheat oven to 375.

Grease a 9×9 baking pan. Cut up each raw cinnamon roll into small cubes and place in baking dish. Set aside.

Melt the butter with the brown sugar and diced apples in a skillet, over medium heat until sugar begins to bubble and caramelize. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, mix the eggs, milk, cinnamon and vanilla until well blended.

Pour over the cubed cinnamon rolls in the baking dish. Top with the apple, sugar, butter mixture. Using the canned frosting, drizzle over the top of the apples.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes, or until center of the baking dish tests done.

Serve with vanilla or cinnamon ice cream. * I had some of the brown sugar syrup left in the skillet which I poured over ours after dishing it up in the bowls. Fantastic! Think I will increase the butter and sugar next time so there will be more of the syrup to pour over each serving. It’s not even Fall yet, but Im excited about all the apple dishes which will be on our table, once the temps fall below 100.

Beef · Breads · Cakes · Casseroles · Chicken · Chocolate · Cookies · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Uncategorized

Princess On The Porch

I just got a notification that Princess on the Porch is in Itunes Store for $3.99. This will let you have recipes and stories on your computer that will be so easy to keep instead of searching for recipes on the blog, chocolate castles.com.

 

Breads · Uncategorized

Cheese & Herb Scones

I don’t know about you, but not only do I feel a little British when I eat scones, but I certainly feel a little Martha Stewartie when I make them. Just returning from grocery shopping I happened to look on the back of a bag of shredded sharp cheddar cheese and noticed this recipe. We are having potato soup for dinner so these will go along very nicely. A little Paula meets Martha dinner, don’t you think?

Makes 12 scones

1 lb self-rising flour

1 teas salt

4 oz butter, cold, cut in cubes

1 teas fresh rosemary, finely chopped

1 (8)oz package finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese,divided

8 tables milk

8 tables waater

Preheat oven to 425. Mix together in a large bowl, the flour, salt and cold cubed butter with a pastry blender, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Add the chopped rosemary and 6 oz of the cheese.  Add the milk and water and stir until mixture is just blended. Do not over mix.  On a floured board or cabinet top, roll out the dough to 1″ thickness.  Cut out rounds using a 2 1/2″ biscuit cutter or glass top.  Place scones on a greased baking sheet and top with remaining shredded cheese. Bake until golden brown, about 10-13 minutes, depending on oven.

Breads · Cakes · Uncategorized

Little Lemon Drops

imageThis morning I had some family over to introduce a line of clothing that our DIL, Mandy is now selling, called LouLaRoe!  It has opened up a new world of comfortable clothing to me!  I can still wear my earrings and pearls but not have to be dressed up!  I can bend, pack boxes, do laundry or bake and still look cutsie but comfortable!  Anyhow I wanted to have a few goodies for them while they looked over the leggings and tips so made these wonderful little lemon gems!  So easy and they make 3 mini cupcake pans   The date but bread on top  is already on the blog under….you guessed it, Date Nut Bread!

1 box of lemon cake mix

1 small package vanilla instant pudding

4 large eggs at room temp

1 1/4 cups sour cream

1/2 cup milk

preheat oven to 350  coat mini muffin pan tins with cooking spray

combine all ingredients in large bowl and beat with mixer for 2-3 min and all are combined.

fill each muffin hole about 1/2 full   I used a small cookie scoop for this!

bake about 13 min or until they tests done.

cool pan on wire rack for about 3 min then invert and place them upside down on wire rack over waxed paper.

drizzle glaze over each one!

Glaze

mix 2 cups of powdered sugar with enough milk to form a thin frosting. About 1/3 to 1/2 cup

add some lemon zest and about 1 teas vanilla   Stir until no more links remain and frosting is able to be drizzled over mini cupcakes!

 

Breads · Desserts · Fruit

Blueberry Scone* Fruit Dessert

2015-09-04 19.38.44 Tonight we are headed to Babe’s for the best fried chicken in the state of Texas with my sister-in-law and her hubby. Because it will be served with creamed corn, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans and biscuits, I thought it might be good to have a little lighter dessert afterward.

This morning, I made fresh lemon-blueberry scones (recipe is on the blog). Because it is still so hot out and the humidity is really high today, I thought I would cut up fresh fruit and serve over the scones with a spoonful of whipped cream. So that will be our dessert.

After sampling the peaches and blueberries, they weren’t exactly the sweetest, so I added cut up strawberries to the peaches and blueberries, and sprinkled a little strawberry jello to make a sweet syrup. This will be so fresh looking poured over the scones, which will be served in individual little triffle dishes. (Use pretty wine glasses or goblets if you prefer.) Topped with the sweetened whipped cream, and folks, I think we have a winner!

Great ending to our fried chicken dinner! Remember…All’s well that ends with a great meal!

*The scones are a Paula Deen Recipe